For months, Leroy Virgil of the infamous Hellbound Glory has been dropping little tidbits about a potential triple album coming out in the future to be called MericA. As Virgil told SCM at the beginning of the year, “Gonna come out in chapters or volumes, haven’t decided. Songs about real ‘merica.” Virgil is a virtual songwriting machine, and when you see him live expect to be regaled by brand new songs throughout the set. At some point the man will need to narrow the gap between what he’s written and what he’s recorded, and a triple album may be the only way to accomplish this.

A couple of weeks ago Hellbound Glory was in Nashville, in a studio session that included former Waylon Jennings’ drummer and right hand man Ritchie Albright, as well as Amanda Shires and Shooter Jennings among others. This was the first step in making what may become a landmark triple album of independent country a reality.

For the holiday, Leroy has released the lyrics to the upcoming title track, and in true Virgil fashion, they work just fine without the musical accompaniment.”MericA” plays off the broad theme Leroy has adopted of depicting rural America, one that is filled with broken dreams and bad habits; a more subversive view than corporate country likes to portray, but also one that is more accurate.

Stay tuned for more info on the album Merica.

The MericA Song (4 Bocephus)

(by Leroy Virgil of Hellbound Glory)

“There aint nothin like a gun to make you feel real tall
Like some alcohol, adderol,
Hey are you ready for some football?
You buy this truck rust and all

Its like a broke down American made
Suped up old Chevrolet
It aint our Government that makes us Great
And as long as we can make it
I think we got it made
In the good ole USA

Well screw me, I think it’s great. I don’t think Justin Moore is self-aware enough to write a song like this. What I see is an anti-Justin Moore song, but maybe that’s because I’m a Hellbound Glory homer.

To everyone bitching about the lyrics….The album is called “MericA”. That’s the title of the album. What did yall expect? It’s not Townes Van Zandt, everyone. It’s Hellbound Glory. And I think it’ll be a pretty good listen.

I’m am hoping Virgil doesn’t try to carry some torch for anti-laundry list songs or something. It generally back fires. I would suggest Virgil take some notes from guys like Alan Jackson, George Strait, Jamey Johnson… and not try to call people out thinking that is going to change something. Just do your thing.

I mean, look at Bocephus now… he is a characiture…if Virgil tries to fight back with cliche songs, it will ruin him fast.

Hearing the song via the youtube link helps a lot. It isn’t ground breaking, but it is good and there is no way you would hear some mainstreamer sing it like LeRoy does. I just hope Leroy doesn’t get caught up in “political” message songs. As far as any “swearing” in the song…lets not mistake this for another artist that likes to drop “F this and that” in every other line.

One thing that jumped out at me in the video was the screen in the background showing old Waylon clips. Man, how timeless was Waylon. He would dominate today. Sure maybe they don’t play Cash or Merle on today’s country radio, but I have a feeling Waylon would make it. The clips also show how far we have to go to get to an artist like Waylon. He was effortless in his delivery. Never ever trying to hard. Even his “political” songs, “America” comes to mind. Not over the top, but edgy, but as true today as the day he debuted it.

There’s no way Justin Moore would ever sing something like this. “Self aware” is a perfect way to describe these lyrics. Plus I was really stoked when Leroy told me he would be working with Shooter. Not because I’m a huge Shooter fan but because I’m a huge hellbound glory fan and I know this will get them some more exposure. Everybody should enjoy seeing these guys play small venues while they still can.

I remain somewhat dubious on just how effective Shooter’s name is at promoting a band or artist. He remains an extremely polarizing figure, and I have yet to see any artist take a significant jump in success because of his involvement. Unfortunately for every fan his name may turn on to a band, it may turn another off. Same could be said for Hank3, another very polarizing figure. What he did offer Hellbound Glory here that without question is helping is access to things like studio time, and players like Ritchie Albright and Amanda Shires.

The problem that still remains is that there’s not enough fans. Since Shooter started trying to promote underground/independent acts, the fan base has only dwindled. I’m not saying it’s Shooter’s fault, it’s likely the fault of an aging fan base that doesn’t have the time to support music like they used to, and a lack of influx of new, younger fans.

No matter what anyone thinks of Shooter, or can’t make up their mind on Shooter, you can’t mistake the reach he has and how well his XM radio show is done. I don’t know how they exactly track success of XM shows (I suppose membership to satellite radio is one way) but Shooter’s show is fantastic. He exposes tons of artists you won’t hear back to back to back in a couple hour show.
Sure some internet broadcasts expose underground bands but they also keep it very underground specific, but Shooter will play Hellbound, followed by Trampled by Turtles, then jump to Black Sabbath, Ray Wylie, Pistol Annies, then mix Whitey Morgan and Jamey Johnson in, then a “Waylon Fuckin’ Rocks Block” of tunes, etc…. He isn’t afraid to allow underground and more mainstream into the playlist.

Behind the scenes I don’t know if Shooter’s name attached to a band helps in the business end of things…it seems to, but certainly for the fanbase, I don’t know how he is hurting it??? Or I don’t think his recent development of XXX has hurt the fanbase at all. If you shy away from a band solely because Shooter is tied to it someway… then I guess I would say this…”you’re the only one that you are screwin’, when you put down what you don’t understand.”

This is a GREAT song. You can find a more or less demo on Hellbound Glory’s reverbnation page. Link below. Also, I was at the Waylon birthday bash in Nashville. Leroy played a couple new songs. ‘Merica should be great.

People keep complaining about it being “laundry list” and “Justin Moore with swearing,” but I don’t know, I don’t really see it that way.

Justin Moore isn’t going to say “broke down American-made suped up old Chevrolet” or “there ain’t nothin’ like a gun to make you feel real tall.” It’s too honest. We, as Americans, hide behind our guns, our alcohol, our Adderall, because it makes us feel “taller.” Bigger. Cooler. Like we’re more than we are.

And I think that’s more the point of the song. We like to think we’re more than we are. “There ain’t nothing like a gun to make you feel real tall, like alcohol, Adderall.” “It’s like a broke down American-made suped up old Chevrolet.” A Chevy that’s just sitting in somebody’s yard. It’s broken down, it doesn’t work, it’s not going to get you from point A to point B. But it’s suped up. It’s got the works. When you really think about it, as a truck – as a mode of transportation – it’s not worth much. But you talk to the guy who owns it and he’ll be talking that thing up like it’s something special. It’s suped up, man. It’s worth something.

“High times in old divebars.” “Pissin beneath the moon and the stars.” “Pretty girls in shitty cars.” “Firing bottle rockets at the Ghetto Bird, piss drunk July 3rd.” Even “God bless this land of ours.” I feel like it all points to the idea that we think of ourselves as being bigger and better and more important and worth more than we really are.

And maybe it’s just me, and maybe everybody else thinks that that’s way out there and there’s no way I’m right, but that’s what I got out of it. I’m looking forward to actually being able to hear it.

Leroy and Hellbound Glory are THE best in my book…yall that are bitchin about this song clearly just dont understand and to be honest i gotta say leroy wouldnt give a shit because if you dont understand the point of his lyrics…than these songs aint for you. maybe instead of paying attention to justin moore or w.e other pansy out there yall should just appreciate the good and honest music made by this band..
and about the fan base growing older and dwindling….Im 20 years old and me and my friends think hellbound glory is a saving grace to this kind of music.

no pop country singer would sing songs about prescription painkillers and broke down american trucks or bein piss drunk walkin neath the stars…or anything real

If you’re hating on this song, you haven’t heard it live. I’ve seen them twice since “Damaged Goods” and majority of the shows were new material. Haven’t heard a bad one yet. And if ya think Leroy is writing “laundry list” songs, you’re out of your mind